When Israel launched its brutal and destructive war against Lebanon in the summer of 2006, the then-French president, Jacques Chirac, actively sought to end it and produce a cease-fire. When UN Security Council Resolution 1701 was adopted, and Lebanon endorsed it, the French decision to send 2,000 troops to south Lebanon was delayed, because Chirac understood the danger of their mission. He knew that France's policy would be contingent on a military presence on Lebanese land, even if it occurred with Hizbullah's approval. It was important to the French president that troops would be sent with the party's approval, to avoid what happened in the past, namely the bombing of the French soldiers during the presidency of the late Francois Mitterand. The international forces in the south are not only French; they are multi-lateral. But the biggest number is provided by the French contingent. The explosion at the ammunition depot in Khirbet Silm and the clash between locals and Unifil troops on Saturday indicate the danger of the work of these troops, which was agreed to by all Lebanese parties, including Hezbollah, to halt Israeli aggression against Lebanon. In fact, the situation of these troops has become a source of friction between Israel, which commits daily violations of Lebanese air and land, and Hezbollah, which frightens everyone, including the Lebanese State. According to point 12 of UNSCR 1701, “Acting in support of a request from the government of Lebanon to deploy an international force to assist it to exercise its authority throughout the territory, authorizes Unifil to take all necessary action in areas of deployment of its forces and as it deems within its capabilities, to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind, to resist attempts by forceful means to prevent it from discharging its duties under the mandate of the Security Council, and to protect United Nations personnel, facilities, installations and equipment, ensure the security and freedom of movement of United Nations personnel, humanitarian workers, and, without prejudice to the responsibility of the government of Lebanon, to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence.” The presence of these international troops in the Lebanese south is necessary for peace in Lebanon and the region; pelting them with stones is an unacceptable act. They are not occupation troops, but forces that guarantee the security of the region and help the Lebanese Army wield its authority. The army has been tardy in doing this, following the latest incident, but in the end it has done what it has to, alongside Unifil. We should be wary of such incidents, which encourage a number of states to become determined to renew their contribution to Unifil. Qatar and other states have abandoned this move as well. However, France is determined to remain in Lebanon and President Nicholas Sarkozy visited French Unifil troops at the beginning of the year. He affirmed France's determination to continue this participation. However, there are countries like Spain, which had one of the most active battalions, and lost soldiers in a murky incident. Everyone in the south, from Unifil to the Lebanese Army, is keen to cover things up and not spark a crisis. Israel, which rejects any solution to the Palestinian issue and rejects US pressure on it to halt settlements, needs to divert attention to another struggle. It might be in Iran, but south Lebanon is easier. The explosion of the ammunition depot and other incidents of this type are additional pretexts for Israel to commit aggression against Lebanon. We require extreme caution in the south, as well as a determination to see Unifil avoid an attack like the one that took place. Unifil is there for the safety and sovereignty of Lebanon and these soldiers are paying a price, either killed or wounded, while distant from their home countries, carrying out a peacekeeping mission. They should be assisted and supported in their valuable work, instead of being pelted with stones!
